Needed: An end to political gerrymandering

Express-News Editorial Board

Published 4:32 pm, Friday, September 15, 2017

Photo: Ron Schwane /Associated Press

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Ohio Gov. John Kasich is joining friend and ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in his effort to overhaul partisan political map-making that's helped fuel their Republican party's rise to power. Kasich has signed a legal brief that opposes the GOP in the momentous redistricting case being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this fall. Other signers include Republicans John McCain and Bob Dole. less

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is joining friend and ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in his effort to overhaul partisan political map-making that's helped fuel their Republican party's rise to power. Kasich has ... more

Photo: Ron Schwane /Associated Press

Needed: An end to political gerrymandering

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There was a welcome development recently in the bizarre world of gerrymandering.

In an ideal world, all parties — as in Democrats and Republicans — would be on board with the notion that the every-10-year exercise of redistricting should be devoid of imposing partisan advantage. In other words, states should be drawing state legislative and congressional districts without the intent of keeping a controlling party in power.

That redistricting task constitutionally lies with the states. Both parties have used that power to maintain control. It’s just that now, since they’ve captured a majority of state legislatures, Republicans — when they aren’t enacting voter ID laws for similar motives — are the more egregious abusers.

And this is particularly true in rosey red Texas.

But recently, some prominent Republicans have broken from the party line. They have filed briefs urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule against extreme political gerrymandering. Among those signing the briefs: Arizona Sen. John McCain; Ohio Gov. John Kasich; former Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate Bob Dole; former Sens. John Danforth of Missouri, Richard Lugar of Indiana and Alan Simpson of Wyoming; and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The court will hear arguments from a Wisconsin case on political gerrymandering on Oct. 3. At stake is whether — quite apart from racial gerrymandering to deny representation to minorities — it is unconstitutional to draw these lines in extreme fashion for partisan advantage.

This is done by packing people who vote predictably — or seldom, if at all — into certain districts to engineer party control. In Wisconsin, this was done in such a way that Republicans got political wins that did not conform to how many more Democrats voted in state legislative races.

Texas’ redistricting maps are likely headed to the Supreme Court, challenges occurring because of racial gerrymandering. But, in Texas, partisan and racial gerrymandering are indistinguishable because minorities generally and Latinos in particular tend to vote Democratic.

A federal court has labeled the state’s maps as intentionally discriminatory.

But because partisan and racial gerrymandering are distinctions without a difference, a high court ruling against partisan gerrymandering would still have a seismic effect on Texas.

These maverick Republicans are acting commendably, arguing for simple justice and true representative democracy. Our hope is that the court agrees.